Dear BBMP,
How are you doing? Hope all is well with you. Things haven’t been going so great with me for a month now, as I have been bedridden after being injured on a faulty footpath. But that’s another conversation for another time.
I write to you today because of a tweet by the BBMP Commissioner that caught my eye about a week ago. B H Anil Kumar tweeted that the Palike had identified 35 junctions in the city for “beautification” to raise the standards of Bengaluru.
The Mayor of Bengaluru, Gautam Kumar, then elucidated that the idea was to turn us into a world-class city with these improvements. The estimated cost of this project is Rs 100 crore. “The redevelopment of these junctions will also ease the flow of traffic in Bengaluru. All these junctions will have beautiful artwork, sculptures, and greenery,” said the Mayor.
A facelift worthy of a global city. It is a fabulous idea and it is great we didn’t even wait for the state visit by a US President to spruce ourselves up. You ought to be applauded for taking the initiative.
I have a few questions about it though.
What do you mean by beautification? Who are the artistic minds who will help with it? How long will it take? And is it synergised with the other major projects you are planning for the city?
The thing is, while it all sounds very fancy, the details seem to be somewhat lacking. And the devil is always in the details. Beautification can mean a lot of things. I personally love the idea of creating Miyawaki forests in these junctions as was done at Cantonment. The design pattern released for Chalukya Circle also looks impressive – but on paper.
Imagine 35 of the busiest junctions in Bengaluru – including Mysore Bank, Chalukya Circle, Minerva Circle, Anil Kumble Circle – all being done up! The mere thought of disrupted traffic is enough to make me shudder.
Anybody who has had remodelling done in their homes will tell you, it isn’t for the faint-hearted. The chaos that ensues before, during and after the project can turn Nirupa Roy to Lalitha Pawar. And this is after you have finalised the details of how you want things. But here, we haven’t seen any other details except the names of the 35 junctions. Don’t mind me pointing this out, but your planning needs a little attention.
And remember the last time you tried to beautify Bengaluru?
That was in 2011. In May of 2011, BBMP tied up with CREDAI (Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India) to develop and maintain 60 traffic junctions in the city. The then-Deputy Mayor of the city, S Harish, who spearheaded the project, wanted it to be reminiscent of art one would see through the winding lanes of Europe.
BBMP had identified 198 junctions and asked CREDAI members to choose from these. The consortium chose 60 junctions to beautify, develop and maintain. By October 2011, the plan fell through, the partnership went sour and nothing came of it. Five reminders from BBMP, and none of the CREDAI members responded.
But by then, in July 2011, you had tied up with Bharati Cements for four junctions – Mekhri Circle, Chalukya Circle, Race Course Road, and Millers’ Road near Cantonment. Designed by a single artist, the structures were meant to represent Bengaluru. There was no expert panel of artists who looked into the “beautification”, and the project and art were approved by corporators who were part of the Standing Committee for Major works.
Each of the cement structures cost approximately Rs 2 crore (which was paid by the the private company). The four structures – prancing horses at Race Course; modern art at Chalukya Circle; cement statues of children holding hands around a cement tree stump asking us to protect the green (oh the irony!). The last junction – Cantonment Circle – gave us art that is truly beyond my powers of description. There is an elephant which has a rhino perched on its back, upon which there is a turtle; and on top of the turtle is a bird. There’s also a panther/cheetah(?) sitting atop the elephant. It has been eight years, and we still haven’t figured out what was being represented.
When the statues were unveiled in May of 2012, famous artists in the city – the likes of Balan Nambiar, Gurudas Shenoy and M S Murthy – were scathing in their criticism of this “beautification”.
Have you learnt any lessons from this previous experience? Well I guess we will have to wait and see.
While I applaud the ambition, I have to question your priorities. As a city that often makes an appearance on the global map, there are standards that Bengaluru needs to maintain.
Of course it does.
But changing your curtains won’t help if your roof is leaking. We have some serious fundamental problems that need to be sorted. And 100 crore is a lot of money. I have to wonder if our list of to-do-things are upside down.
Our gaurdians( oh so we think) have no idea what to do.In a one year term our Mayor has no time to plan anything.Last year our group of Bengalore Eco group met the then Mayor Gambika and gave her a plan to help Benaluru get a better rating in Servashekshan.We would meet her regularly as we knew we had very little time.She tried her best( giving her some credit) but she wasn’t in a position to convince the higherups of Bbmp and councillors.So you see in 1yr!!She ran out of time and office. So what does our Mayor do ?? All eyelash.and coffers are left more empty!!If there is a word for it?
It is the process stupid! How many times, as ordinary citizens, we are scurrying with our feedback, which the government, BBMP etc.have no interest in. Why are such projects foisted on the city? What is the internal process, before such ideas are announced? Did we hear that 100 crores have been allocated fir beautification projects? The article provides instances of previous projects that have made minimal or no impact. Without continuity, such projects don’t deliver long term benefits.
Please first remove 95 percent of the speedbreakers and rework on the protuding man holes .
Dear BBMP. Please check the basic sanitation first, later we can do the beautification. I stay at Basaveswara Nagar area. People throw dead rats over the roads. I hope you are aware that dead rats are the carriers of Rota virus. No cleaning and sanitation. Now we are thinking about corona virus, but people will get effected surely due to rota virus. I guess similar issue there in other areas also
Beautification is required in each and every part of the city.
Each and every corner can be beautified by spending just few lakhs.
As my friend says as above miyawaki forest is the best bet.
We can grow nice tall trees and fruit trees where by people can get good air and nice parks to breathe pure oxigen.
I agree with you sir, it’s waste of public money.
Dear Sir.. It is well thought Article. Bangalore is lacking the minimum facilities.. It’s been more than a year that authorities have dug up the Babusapalya road and still work is going on.. every where the pile of dust and excavations are visible.. it is such a nightmare that every moment I regret about the callousness of administrators.. I also regret on what fateful day I landed I Bangalore, a filthy disgusting Garbage city.. It is very shameful to stay in such a disgusting locality like Babusapalya and Agara road.. please do visit sometime and you will be rewarded with the thick dust coming out from the renovation work going on and on since ages.. shame on you..
The people sitting in BBMP should have a bit commonsense that which has more urgent and prioritized works needs to do. The traffic is increasing hell lot, wherein damaged roads, unrepaired footpaths and improper signal lights taking life of the citizens who are the one who paying from their income. Whichever the government comes, except worried about their political meetings and party seminars, no one bothered to improve road widening and making flyover to streamline traffic. The live example, the traffic from Tin factory to Indiranagar and other roots are hell. BBMP have dates for collection of so many taxes,but not worried for even basic developments. In stead KFC wasting public money for beautification, let BBMP think seriously about basic most important developments first”
We don’t need beautification. We need garbage-free and neat city with lesser traffic congestion. That is all we citizens of this city need.
The whole idea of beautification is stupid and illogical. The only way to beautify bangalore is planting more hardwood, deeprooted trees with thick canopy. The vanamahotsava trees planted on footpaths are useless and have become a danger to the public.
Loved the last sentence– But changing your curtains won’t help if your roof is leaking.
They just dont care and go on wasting our money on projects which dont need thinking about.
They are defining different ways to make money….. simple…..am still waiting for road infornt of my house to be relaid which was dug a year back to lay pipelines….that not addressed, they want to beautiful the city…..God save ua
What’s use of the beautification when we don’t have a proper road to walk and footpaths to Ride. Such a great traffic to rejoice and potholes to enjoy a bumpy Ride. Unplanned Digs without being thoughtful about inconveniences caused to the daily commuters. Dreaming about beautification brings up the ugliest face during the rainy season.. Look at the silk board signal and Madiwala streach, they cry out loud to be under tremendous traffic.
Lot more to add but much Ado about nothing…
Another scam another day
Beautification is secondary. At primary level atleast implement some measures to keep Bengluru clean . On every second corner of road the clutter and garbage is seen. Lakes are contaminated with drainage. Request to BBMP kindly take some drastic steps to have a cleaner city .
It’s because State govt took over 12 road works from BBMP. Now they need something to dip their dirty hands and lick
Beautification! That should be the last thing on the list. Corruption is taking over this city and its crying for help. Once green and lush Bangalore is now destroyed at the hands of greedy and corrupt politicians. Trees cut down, tech parks built over lakes, illegal constructions shooting up, the entire Andhra water mafia and illegal PGs. People need to rise up and protest because this level of corruption is obscene and shameless. People cannot cross roads, traffic signals cause hours of delay, please address real issues first.
As in other countries beneath Metro track why don’t you convert into green by planting creepers , flowering plants. Join hands with BMRCL and execute. Hyderabad because of such greenery is looking exceptionally cute.
I love Bangalore 10years back as Garden City…but now every where it has polluted with dust, traffic and no proper roads…Please help us to grow in good environment and protect us from pollution. Thx
Can u tell me how? People have sold out the lands to concretes from trees! Population has increased, vehicles have increased!!
Beautify BBMP engineeres pocket with ₹100/-crore
You are a true citizen who will matter
Oh God! BBMP should have people’s representation in each ward,
Leave beautification . Let the city’s garbage be cleared on a daily basis. It has been very long since Bangalore has become Garbage city from Garden City.
The present city authority at various level are sleeping. Before wasting this 100 crore for a while,it’s better to push the fly over and metro to go fast to complete work on day night basis as other IT’ s people are working through out 24×7. Ask your heavy vehicle to road in night basis. Secondly the corporation work on road sweeping must be completed before Dawn for better result in wake of city cleanimess. These are major observation could seen on city structural fact…one responsible authority capacity must look these serious agendas to look forward ahead…
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Dear BBMP Bangalore need more and more kaveri water summer is coming please invest 100 crores for water roads and garbage
Nothing will beautify those ugly circles. As everyone says build park’s plant trees. Help the nature help humans. Greenery beautifies a city not concrete structures
A waste vacant land in Naganathapura is a open air dust bin. Walking along road to Rayasandra is so dangerous because animal waste is dumped in this land. Corona virus may start here.
Well said !!!
Dear BBMP
We the bangalore people really don’t need your beautification project … If you guys just work on keeping the city clean and neat by just doing your job not more not less we all will be very very happy ..
You guys recently spent tons our tax paid money to buy the cleaning truck .. whre is it I haven’t seen the roads getting cleaned .. Get the road work moving faster if not faster atleast close the project on time
.. we are tiered of spending time in traffic
Thanks to you we have more patients in banglore ….. Once a garden City with clean air has now become a crazy traffic , dusty pollution .. most of thr credit goes to you
please plant more trees which was cut in past we need garden city and not concrete or garbage city will keep us good health invest on good work not painting the road side
From garbage, BBMP team can not pocket that much of money which they will make from so called beautification word. In BBMP, entire officials think only on ( How to make money for their family apart from salary). Everybody in BBMP is corrupt. Only God can save the citizens of Bangalore. White toppings are the money spinning for BBMP– the effect will be flooding during rains and high temperature — who bothers– BBMP officials have A/c in their houses and sufficient money to pay for bills.
Ohhhh please.. think again BBMP.. lets go step by step. Lets first have roads without potholes. Find and implement ways to reduce traffic. Fix the drinking water crisis. Maintain cleanliness. These are the works in progress (damn slow and never ending) since the time I was born here. Lets complete this.
If only garbage is cleared regularly, illegal constructions are stopped, trees are
not cut in the name of development, illegal underground boring for water by the water mafia stopped and haphazard parking of vehicles controlled, Bangalore will need no beautification.
Spent all Rs 100cr actually, hope you understand what I mean to convey.
We required very basic Amenities like foothpath, poothole and patch free road, Daily garbage collection, Good bus shelter, good road signs, working street lights, clean drains …. Spend 100 cr actually on this. City will automatically become beautiful.
I think the biggest menace in Bengaluru city is garbage on the road sides and in all the streets. Also everytime i see someone urinating on the road side i pity on the this country thinking of becoming space giants. So much superficial attitude towards human life.
Clean the water that enters the sewage, no dies, no chemicals. Prioritize on electric mobility with charging stations, electric buses.
Ban plastic from large scale manufacturers as packing in next 5 years. Bio degradation toiletries to maintain sewage from being toxic.
No **** covering paint work, to fill some pockets
[Editor: This comment has been edited to suit our comments policy.]
Can You’ll first address issues like waste management in the city??and then think of all this..
It’s not very important to beautify the junctions
The importance is to manage the garbage all over, the entire city is dusty, all the roads are are with potholes, most important is skywalks
It can reduce a little bit of traffic
Ask me I will give the right solution to reduce the traffic in city because I drive around 200km every day in the city from morning to late night.
Stop cutting trees and plant trees for 100 crores we can see garden city back.
BBMPannss have you seen the garbage in balepet area in heart of majestic?
Visit the cross roads n see the dump of garbage that are not cleared, see the difficulty ppl are facing bcoz of these which is leading to ppl ending up in hospital…have the officers even bother of how are ppl livit that too in the heart of the city…will you tolerate these menaces in front of your living areas?
No action taken inspite of several complaints…..start working before ppl take you to roads…
Loved your way you showed the mirror to the concerned authorities …. They can’t see the problems faced by the residents of Bangalore one of the major problems is the roads which they have dug up two years back and forgot that they need to build it back which will ease the traffic to a great extent and also a cause of pain for the common public.
Beautification!First clear garbage problem of our city and air pollution.Widen roads that will help to ease traffic,find problem for water scarcity during summer,clear Bellandur lake from froth and,stop felling of trees,make the city roads potholes free,make public transport efficient and commuter friendly,improve standard of education in govt schools and make police force public friendly.And then
Think of beautifying NAMMA BENGALURU!
I live in Europe coming to Bangalore for business trips. I agree that the so called beautification idea is totally insane given the fact that there’s total chaos and dirt absolutely everywhere in the city.
Whoever came up with it is either an egomaniac or there’s a clear hidden business interest.
Beautification, with greenary under each elevated roads and below metro train route, if handed over to corporate sector, IT companies and interested individuals who can maintain certain stretches, provided their logo and lighting advisement sign board are permitted by authorities.
Let BBMP address the garbage and cleaning of the streets on priority. In prominent places like Indira Nagar garbage is not collected regularly and streets are not cleaned regularly. Once a beautiful Indira Nagar has become a third rate township with broken infrastructure, lack of cleanliness. Please take a walk on CMH Road, 100 Feet Road, Double Road and you will realise how difficult it is to even walk with broken pavements, undulated pavements, cars and scooters parked on the pavements etc BBMP is either blind or do not care to first take care of these issues before spending more money on this proposed beautification. Perhaps BBMP has its mouth where there is possibility of spending big money.
This is called white corruption.! India is full of it and esp Bangalore. Make road, dig up to lay pipes, make road again, dig up again and so on.
Just look at any projects… no work getting done doesn’t mean no money being paid.! Billing is always on. Work is deliberately stalled so as to pocket constant billing. That is called white corruption. Everything is black here but you cannot challenge it in court. Another major example is “oh I missed escalators” for metro.! Always there. Each such “oh we missed” costs hundreds of crores to thousands…..
Development lobby is big white black elephant in the room. The root of corruption is public work.!
I stay in jayanagar where all the footpaths are ripped open since January and left as it is, no place to walk and forced to walk on the roads.
The BBMP has corrupted to the core.
The footpaths which had white topping were removed and laid with old granite slabs removed from somewhere else, but where as, the tar roads are being done by white topping.
When complained to the contractor why the delay, he says they have not been paid as there is no funds to complete.
Then why in the first place did they start the work?
BBMP needs to focus on issues which citizens face on daily basis – Sanitization , cleanness , traffic congestion, narrow roads, illegal construction, corruption , strengthen of law and order , crub on illegal mafia like water, waste disposal. I being a citizen of Bengaluru feel threatened with crime incidents happening in broad day light and law makers are simply passing torch to citizens to be careful and not having proper checks and control. No fear to people with criminal minds . Everything is interrelated. Implementation needs to be strengthen with harsh punishment for people not following it.
Sir, one of my friend(father of 2 children)got leg broken because of bad footpath he is bed ritten from past three month.
Peoples Money can’t be wasted for such project with out proper analysis. A 3rd party committe to be formed with having such back ground to spear head such projects.
Let’s not burn our hands with such a huge money of 100 crores.
It’s important to address trafic in Bangalore.
Setting aside budget for easing the congestion in co ordination with RTO would definitely attract more and more concrete investment from MNCs which would probably help develop infrastructure.
As we are into digital Era, instead of checking online for the traffic offences and issue bills, we still observe RTO personal take a ample busy area in and around the trafic junctions to check for the offences manually choke trafic movement.
1.Removal of waste /Garbage from all around Banglore and strong penalties on defaulted for non compliance will be a better beginning for Banglore Beautification ,rather than focussing only on just 35 junctions.
Other points to focud
2.Cleaning up storm water drain and waste water drain .
3.Fixing up of potholes.
4.Removsl of hanging cables (a death trap)
5. Routing the rain water from Metro tracks to under ground ( so called rain harnessing ) to improve water tablecondition.
6. Lake development and preservation.
In short focus on improving HABITAT
This is for REAL. We are here to support you fully on Habitat improvement.
I see a parallel. A wall was built and beautified during US President’s visit to Ahmedabad to hide the ‘real beauty’ of the city. We are doing the same, ignoring the real problems of garbage, roads, denuded vegetation cover etc. The ruling party is also the same. Hide, ignore, refuse to recognise the real issues.
BBMP this is a spring season and trees are filled with brown dust..no view of greenery at all in Bengalure and look at the trees around Nagawara, Hennur, thanisandra, hegde nagar, horamavu, road to Airport from thanisandra and hennur and many parts of north bangalore…. and also other parts of bangalore … filled with dust…please realise your (BBMP) performance is no where where near to satisfactory feedback. Hope to see some good change.
Rightly illustrated. BBMP should know what are Bangalore’s immediate requirements – a proper drivable road not the art work which no one will see while jumping around.
You hit the nail on the head. This is one more plan to destroy the already destroyed Bangalore.
Remembering Bangalore as I used to know it, I have come to live in Bengaluru. And what a disappointment !! Instead of reaching for the stars, if only BBMP and whatever other civic authorities
realised that the ground needs to be cleared and cleaned first, or the stars will land in the muck. I’m praying the powers that be will see the light very soon. But how? And who will lead the way? Some smart person hopefully.
I bet you can not walk in horamavu. Dust , no roads, no footpath.
Dear Commissioner Sir,
Please provide us the basic essentials like proper road with walking space first, before thinking of beautifying Bangalore. Whenever we ask our Corporator and MLA they say budget restrictions for providing proper road which is a basic expectation from us, but you are talking about spending 100 crores for beautification. First please visit our road ( Croma Road, Kadubeesanahalli), we are all living in a dusty condition with many people are affected with Ashthma. Our MLA, Mahadevapura DC all visited but no action till date. Infact every day the condition is deteriorating. Our sincere request with folded hands to you, please visit such areas and try to improve the living condition of people before thinking of beautifying Bangalore.
Thank you.
Every day we are travelling on potholes with road seen in between..except the ORR all the internal roads are in a pathetic shape leading to slow moving traffic…road quality should be improved and foot paths are missing which is a pity, there is no safty for pedestrians…this city needs mandatory infrastructure than beautification….
Same goes for Thanisandra Road. Whole roads digged, lots of dust comes on faces and eyes and traffic jam. I feel tired whenever I drive on Thanisandra. Also on road side something smell very badly near flyover as there are meat waist. Do something BBMP
Dear BBMP,
Please have a visit from Hormavu to Banjara Layout road, people of this area may get serious health issues if it goes like this., there were proper roads to these areas and after BBMP dug all the roads this is also one among that. after dugged nobody has taken initiative to repair the roads. Day by Day area is getting polutted more and more. I request you to see these kind of issues rather than modifying face of bangalore. People are facing water and garbade dumping problems in the city please do a proper garbage disposal forum.
with ugliest metro destroying beauty of city…. what an irony about “beautification”. if you want beauti then make metro underground everywhere. it will decongest city and also beautify bangalore, also, cost will be lower if bigger contracts are awarded. mentioning this because underground is not awarded citing cost… with smaller contract higher cost becomes self fulfilling prophecy
Beutification ? It should be done in part of city visualising the need of citizens . BBMPSahaay app was launched to solve the grievances of public but in vain. Conmplaint no 10917610 could not be resolved inspite of repeated requested
Again the same complaint was registered on Namma Benguluru app vide complaint no.20008060 which was escalated to CE and Joint Commissioner but still hanging in balance. Construction of damaged road as pointed out in above complaint ,is also a part of beautification .What more can be expected more
Check the roads at Rammurty nagar and other areas in city very worst devt by BBMP and mla at Rammurty nagar.
Forest or village’s are better if compare to Bangalore devt by bbmp
True
Beautification should be done by clearing the garbage on the roads. Planting trees. Creating many more parks. But BBMP cannot do it unless people of our city change their ways. We see them throw garbage at street corners even after the corners have been cleaned and “beautified” by BBMP. We see people spitting rampantly even these days increasing the risk of infection. We see people driving vehicles spewing toxic smoke. Unless we find a way to stop the causes, no beautification is possible.